The Counting Game
by heartofstone42
Summary: Wherein Meroko runs away in embarrassment, Takuto curses Izumi, Mitsuki faints, and Jonathan is sent flying out the window. Twice. / IzuMe & TaSuki. OOC.


**Disclaimer: **It's all Arina Tanemura's.  
><strong>Setting: <strong>Set after Izumi kisses Meroko twice.  
><strong>Warnings: **(extremely) OOC.

* * *

><p>"Whaa～" cried Meroko while flipping through the channels. "The only thing that's on is the news! Where are the dramas?"<p>

Frustrated, she gave up, turned off the television, and slumped herself on the floor. "There's nothing to do—I'm so bored!" she cried. She stretched out her whole body as if she was trying to make a snow angel and whined, "Mou, Takuto! This is all your fault!"

But she pouted because Takuto didn't hear it. And why? Well, simple: Takuto and Mitsuki had left her to watch the house.

At first, she protested and hit Takuto for suggesting to leave her to watch the house alone. But he defended that somebody needed to watch it and he couldn't, seeing as Mitsuki needed him for her transformation. She objected once more—this time with less confidence since he was right—and he told her to ask Izumi to watch the house if she didn't want to watch over it so badly.

With the options of watching over the house or asking Izumi to watch over it, obviously, Meroko agreed to watch over it. She'd rather die of boredom than ask Izumi, or even talk to Izumi for that matter.

And currently, here we are now: a very bored Meroko.

Closing her eyes, Meroko put on a thinking pose. "What do I do now?" Meroko wondered out loud. "Nothing to do... Nothing to do..."

Upon opening her eyes, they immediately widened after seeing a familiar creepy happy face of a ghost. "Oh, it's the mature girl～" Jonathan remarked.

"KYAAAAA!" Meroko screamed and punched Jonathan, who was sent flying out the window while screaming 'noooooo'. She calmed down and squeaked after noticing that she had accidentally punched Jonathan.

_Whoops,_ she thought and sweat dropped. She went to the opened window and shouted, "Gomen ne, Jonathan-san!" After doing so, she lay down on the floor again but this time, she felt that something wasn't quite right.

_Wait..._ she thought. _If Jonathan-san's here, then _he_ must be..._

Meroko heard someone burst into fits of laughter. She looked to the direction of the door and gulped—it was Izumi.

"You just punched Jonathan out the window; aren't you so funny, Me-chan?" Izumi laughed.

"E-Eto, it was an accident!" she defended, her face all flustered.

"Ah, the face that I love to see the most," he remarked. Izumi's laugh wore off and he smiled, "So, what's Me-chan doing here? Has she been rejected by Ta-kun again and now he and Miki are alone together?"

"M-Mou, it's nothing like that!" she protested. "I'm only here because I have to watch over the house—that's it! And Takuto wouldn't do anything to Mitsuki-chan while I'm here so stop with the imagery!" she shrieked.

Izumi laughed again at her and Meroko puffed her cheeks; this was why she would have done anything else than go and talk to him.

"Izumi-san can stop laughing now," Meroko pouted. He immediately stopped and stared at her; Meroko blinked—did Izumi listening immediately really happen?

"Izumi... _san_?" Izumi repeated, emphasizing in horror on the honorific used.

"E-E-Eto!" Meroko squeaked. "W-Well, I only used 'kun' when we were partners—when we were, err, _close_—but now that we're not partners anymore, I shouldn't assume... _things_... right? P-Plus, other Shinigamis will ask why I'm using 'kun' when we're not together anymore!"

Izumi narrowed his eyes and fixed his gaze on her; staring intently, he stated, "Unless it's Me-chan, I don't care about what the other Shinigamis think; their opinions don't matter."

She blushed a little at what he said and shook her head lightly, trying to make the blush go away. She took a peek at him once more and saw that his serious gaze was still directed to her.

Out of nowhere, Jonathan pops up suddenly and exclaims, "Izumi-kun! Izumi-kun! The mature girl punched me out of boredom!"

"EH?" Meroko remarked, sweat dropping.

"Is that so?" Izumi smirked amusedly, looking at Jonathan. Meroko silently thanked Jonathan for changing the heavy atmosphere.

"Hai, hai! I heard her complaining about being bored and so I flew to her to not make her bored... Then the next thing I know, she punches me and I'm flying out the window!" Jonathan shared. "Punish her, Izumi-kun! Punish her!"

"N-No, J-Jonathan-san, I was just—" Meroko tried to defend herself when suddenly Izumi cut her off.

"Eh? So Me-chan's bored of watching the house, is she?" Izumi asked Jonathan, but averted his gaze towards Meroko.

"N-No! That's—"

"Yes, she is! I heard her so punish her now!" Jonathan told him.

_Nobody's listening to me_! Meroko cried silently.

Izumi smirked, "Souka. If that's the case, let's play a game, then." Meroko's bunny ears flopped when she heard his suggestion; she turned to his direction, only to see him right in front of her with a smile plastered on his face.

"A game? Ooh, let's play! Let's play!" Jonathan exclaimed. Izumi flicked him away with his fingers and Jonathan went sent flying out again.

"Gomen ne, Jonathan, but this is a game only Me-chan and I can play." Izumi stated with a smile while looking out the window.

_Sadistic..._ Meroko sweat dropped. Izumi flew to her and Indian sat across her on the floor. "Ne, Me-chan likes to count, doesn't she?" Izumi asked.

Meroko nodded; she had this weird fetish of counting.

"Well then, I don't think anything else is more appropriate than this game: The Counting Game." he said, magically bringing out a deck of cards.

* * *

><p>"The Counting Game?" Meroko blinked, watching Izumi divide the deck equally into two parts.<p>

"Yes, the Counting Game." He nodded. "The rules are simple: the both of us have to mentally count the hierarchy of cards in our heads, from lowest to highest. In this case, ace is the lowest. So mentally, you start counting ace, two, three until jack, queen, king, and then go back to ace. While we count mentally, we will be alternately putting down a card each from our respective decks."

"What's the purpose of this game?" she questioned.

"While counting mentally and alternately putting down cards, the pile in the middle will get higher and higher and our decks will become lesser and lesser. The objective of the game is to finish all your cards."

"Won't the first one to put down a card always finish first?" She asked.

"Here's where the counting part comes in handy," Izumi started. "While we're counting and putting down cards, if the card that is put down is the same value as the one that is in our heads, you have to put your hand on top of the card. The last one to put his or her hand on top will have to get the card on top and all cards under and put it in his or her pile. In this case, it's her."

"If it's counting, I'm not going to lose!" Meroko proudly proclaimed.

"If it is Me-chan, then I'll never lose," Izumi murmured softly, but Meroko heard it anyway. "There're other rules, too, you know. The first is that if you put your hand on the card but the number is wrong, then you'll have to get the pile and add it to your deck. Second, if you put your hand on the card but you have another card in your hand—be it first or last, you still have to get the pile. Lastly: no faking. That's all."

"How'll we know what the number is if we lose count?" Meroko asked.

"If you lose count, then that's too bad." Izumi smiled sadistically.

"What if we both don't agree that the number in the pile is the number in our heads?"

"That's why we have this." Izumi brought out a counter. The counter flew away and disappeared. "It'll appear when there is conflict."

"I see," she noted. "You're really prepared, aren't you?" But Izumi just smiled to himself and ignored her. He shuffled the cards and then divided them once more into two decks.

"Ah, Me-chan, let's make this more interesting, shall we?" he asked. "Let's add consequences or punishments." His eyes glimmered.

"E-Eh? But why?" she fought. "It's a fun game as it is!"

"But punishments are funner," he pouted.

She blushed at his pout—_he was so cute!_—and looked away. "F-Fine," she stammered.

"If I win, then you'll have to stop working with them and be my partner again." Izumi cheerfully chirped. "Also, you'll have to call me "Izumi-kun" again."

"E-EH?" she screamed. "N-No way! T-That's too much!"

"You can declare for me never to bother you ever again," he defended. "Or for me never to insert something here... Me-chan, don't you have confidence? ～"

"Never!" she cried and his eyes widened. Had she just—"I do have confidence it's just that I don't want to risk being away from Takuto!"

Izumi twitched when he heard that but he kept his composure. "Fine, I'll change it. You'll have to start calling me Izumi-kun again." he stated. "Also... a kiss." He grinned.

"A KISS?" Meroko shrieked.

"It's only a kiss," he lifted his brow. "Besides, it's not like we haven't done it before."

"I'm not counting those!" she stated obstinately. "I'm saving these virgin lips for Takuto!"

"Virgin lips...?" Izumi blinked. "If that's the case, I've already stolen your 'virgin lips for Ta-kun'. Thrice."

"Lalalala～ Like I said: I'm not counting those! Lalalala～" Meroko sung.

Izumi shrugged; she was so stubborn. But then again, she didn't fight anymore to the kiss punishment so before she could think, he asked, "So, what's your punishment?"

"Eto... you'll have to watch over the house for me!" Meroko declared.

"Watch the house? Fine." _That's easy enough._ "Let's start the game now, shall we?"

"Mm!" she nodded excitedly. "But I'm telling you: I won't lose!" she exclaimed.

"Neither will I," his lips curved into a simper. With that, he threw a card and the Counting Game had begun.

* * *

><p><em>Ace. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten. Jack. Queen. King. Ace. <em>

When Meroko had put down her card, it was the Ace of Spades. She widened her eyes and quickly reached for the card but Izumi had placed his hand first, thus hers ending up on top of his.

"A-Ah, go-gomen, Izumi-san!" she apologised frantically, removing her hand immediately.

"There's no need to apologise, Me-chan. It's really supposed to end up like that." He chuckled. "Plus, you're the one who's going to get the cards so you're the pitiful one here."

"NOOOOO!" Meroko cried as she got the cards and added them to her deck, making the deck fat and thick. "At this rate, the virginity of my lips for Takuto will be taken again! No, Takuto!"

Izumi stayed silent and continued on putting cards down. _Ace. Two. Three. Jack. Queen. King._ The cycle kept repeated and repeated all over again.

"Ne, I don't know if it's me, but..." Meroko started. "I've only counted fifty-one cards. Aren't there supposed to be fifty-two?"

Izumi smirked; she really was the best at counting. "You're right, Me-chan. There are only fifty-one cards."

"Eh?"

But he chuckled, "I've been keeping my favourite card in my pocket all this time—it's hard to let go of but fine, I'll take it out." He got a card from his pocket and put it at the bottom of his deck.

"Your favourite card?" Meroko questioned. "Oh, I remember us talking about this before!"

"So you do remember," Izumi noted. "Yours was the..."

"Jack of Spades!" she exclaimed. "That's because—" her eyes widened when she remembered and so she remained silent.

"The Jack of Spades is blond, like me, and you said that my black hat reminds you of a spade." Izumi completed, putting a card down.

"A-Ah, yeah…" she confirmed. "B-But anyway, what's your favourite again?"

"I changed it but you should know what it is." He told her. "It's so important; it feels incomplete by letting it go."

"Souka..." The two ended up playing in silence once more until the ten of clubs appeared. Meroko put her hand first.

"YAY!" she screamed ecstatically. "Now maybe we're even!"

Izumi added the cards to his deck and they resumed the game.

As the cycle seemed endless, the battle grew more intense, seeing as the two were down to their last cards—Meroko with two and Izumi with one. If any of the next cards was the same as the one in the count and if someone was to miss it, they'd lose.

Meroko gulped while putting down her card. _Seven_, she reminded herself.

Lo and behold, she had placed a seven. She quickly put her hand down—only for Izumi to intercept and put his first.

"NOOOOOOOOOO!" she cried but then paused. "Wait, where's your other card?" Blinking, she saw that he had a card in his hand. "I-It's in your hand!"

Izumi looked at his hand and smiled, "It seems that it is. I guess I really couldn't let it go after all." He chuckled, adding the fifty cards to his deck. Now he had fifty-one and Meroko had one. "All right, Me-chan, you've to put your last card down now."

"Here it is, then!" she shouted. "My saving card...!" She put it down and...

It was the Jack of Spades.

Her eyes glimmered, "This card's so appropriate to be my saving card!" she rhapsodized.

He sighed in defeat but with a smile, "Congratulations, Me-chan. You really are the best at counting. I'll watch the house n—" He got cut off when she rammed her lips against his—giving him a short, sweet, chaste kiss—and before he could do anything, she stopped and flew to the opened window.

"Me-chan?" he blinked.

"I know you let me win," she harrumphed, while looking to the side. He knew she was blushing. "So... it's only fair that you get your reward."

He looked at her then snickered, "Four." She raised her eyebrow at him. "I've stolen the virginity of your lips for Ta-kun four times." And with a boyish grin, he added, "And that number's going to end up going higher and higher—because Me-chan's mine and _only_ mine—so you'd better start counting."

Her face reddened immediately after hearing that. "T-That number will never go higher!" she cried. Flapping her wings, she flew out the window while screaming, "Perverted, sadistic Izumi-kun! Watch over the house!"

Inside the house, Izumi thinned his lips. "We'll see about that, Me-chan," he whispered. He smiled. _Me-chan, you really are..._ He continued playing with the card in his hand. ... _The Queen of Hearts._ He then placed the card in his pocket.

"Izumi-kun～" Jonathan called while flying in through the window. "Why did you do that? Now I feel tired～"

"Well then, rest on the bed." Izumi told him plainly.

"Hontou?" Jonathan's eyes sparkled; Izumi nodded. "Izumi-kun is really nice after all!" Jonathan went to the bed and put the covers over him.

"Now that that's settled..." Izumi said while getting up. "Jonathan, watch over the house."

"Eh? Noooo!" Jonathan wailed. "What are you going to do?"

Izumi smirked, "I'm going to be stealing Me-chan's virginity from Ta-kun."

Jonathan's eyes widened. "…?"

"Don't worry; I've already done it thrice." Izumi shrugged. "Well then, take care of the house, Jonathan." And Izumi flew out the window.

* * *

><p><em>Omake (extra) <em>

The door had opened, revealing Takuto and Mitsuki.

"Arigatou, Takuto, for today!" Mitsuki bowed.

"Sheesh, it wasn't anything so you don't have to be so formal." Takuto chided. She smiled sheepishly at him. "Anyway, that girl must be bored, so... Meroko! Meroko!"

No reply. Groaning, Takuto wondered aloud, "She's not here? I told her not to leave the—"

"Ah, Jonathan-san's here!" Mitsuki exclaimed after seeing Jonathan on the bed with covers over him. "Jonathan-san, where's Meroko?"

"I don't know～" the ghost cried.

Takuto blinked, looking around. "Where's Zumi-yan, then?"

"He's off to steal that mature girl's virginity away from you..." Jonathan replied nonchalantly.

Takuto's and Mitsuki's eyes widened. "What...?"

"He said he's already done it thrice, so..."

"Don't say anymore, Jonathan!" Takuto shouted. "That bastard Izumi..."

"W-Wait, I-Izumi-san's going to steal Meroko-chan's virginity from you...? But he's already done it thrice...? W-Whaat..." Mitsuki's eyes started twirling and she fainted.

"Mitsuki?" Takuto blinked. "Mitsuki, get a hold of yourself! Mitsuki!"

* * *

><p>Wow, I've made a new one-shot... for a new category. Oh my, I keep changing fandoms, lol~ Anyway, I've just finished reading the manga and watching the anime of FMWS and I've to say that the manga is much better (as always?)... Maybe it's because Izumi's so lovable in the manga? Lol. :D<p>

I apologise for the extreme out-of-character-ness! I tried looking for more IzumixMeroko fics but there are just so little! How can people NOT love IzumixMeroko? It's the best pairing in FMWS! D: Well, maybe they haven't read the manga, but oh well.. OTL

A big shout-out to nevermore199: Haha, I know you don't know me, but I'm really so happy that you've made so many entries for MerokoxIzumi. You're awesome. :')

So anyway, this hasn't been beta-d, so please tell me if there are any typos/grammar errors/etc! Criticisms are wanted, too, thanks.

3,190 words.


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